Old Charlie hesitated for a moment. "Madam, that is not a good idea. To summon her now, the success rate of charming her is zero—no creature desires to be controlled while in extreme agony! I understand your desire to help her, but the behavior of any female animal immediately following childbirth is unpredictable. Any action, even a benevolent one, could provoke a frenzied attack. More importantly, assisting her with the delivery will likely cause her even greater pain, almost guaranteeing she will become more violent in defense of her young."

Zi hesitated, refusing to relent. "Are we just going to watch her die?"

Old Charlie observed the situation. "In its current state, this Mountain Cyclops mother must have been severely traumatized previously. Perhaps during her last birthing, to mitigate risk, she starved her offspring, keeping them too small. While the delivery was safe, the resulting young perished."

"That past ordeal clearly imprinted on her. So, during this current pregnancy, she overcompensated by nurturing an unusually large fetus—it appears to be over 50% larger than the normal standard! A classic case of overcorrection. The chance for a normal delivery is zero."

"However, if this fetus survives, it will undoubtedly be immensely powerful, as the Cyclops deity, the Earth Mother, highly favors larger offspring. Their inherent gifts bestowed upon them are exceptionally strong."

Fang Senyan paused, considering. "So, what you are suggesting?"

Old Charlie replied in his characteristic tone, gentle yet chilling, "Allow the mother to perish. We can gamble on the sheer vitality of this oversized offspring; it should outlast the mother. Once it opens its eyes, the first moving object it perceives will be taken as its progenitor, and thus, taming it will be a matter of course."

Zi immediately glared at him coldly, but Old Charlie acted as if he hadn't noticed. He bowed slightly and stepped back.

The old man was like a cold machine, capable of articulating the most advantageous yet utterly ruthless choices. In truth, for a team leader, having such an individual present was often a necessity.

Fang Senyan closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. "Summoning a creature using the Ukiyo-e does not come free. Powerful beings even demand fifty Merit Points and two hundred thousand Universal Credits. San Zai, are you prepared?"

San Zai forced a bitter smile. "I traded some Merit Points and managed to gather enough. I'm still a little short on Universal Credits."

Reef spoke up. "The shortfall in Universal Credits is not an issue."

Fang Senyan addressed San Zai. "You heard what Old Charlie said. I captured this Mountain Cyclops specifically to create this opportunity for you. Since you are the recognized expert in luring creatures, the timing of the summoning is entirely up to you."

San Zai was decisive. "Then I choose to summon the Mountain Cyclops right now. While I have no confidence in charming her, I am confident in establishing communication. The Mountain Cyclops should be a highly intelligent being. Even though she is madly unreasonable for the sake of her young, I believe she will revert to reason when the life or death of her offspring is at stake."

Fang Senyan nodded solemnly. "Then, proceed as you see fit."

Excitement flickered across San Zai’s face, mixed with a slight tremor of anticipation. He placed his hand on the Ukiyo-e. A faint white light bloomed around his hand, then surged out like water, engulfing the print. The wave intensified, spreading violently across the ground, the walls, and the ceiling.

The group felt no discomfort within the white light, save for the temporary impairment of their vision. When their sight returned, Fang Senyan was the first to realize they had been transported to a very small, independent spatial pocket.

This pocket resembled the plane he experienced when advancing to the Hunter tier—only about ten square kilometers in size. The terrain and environment were familiar; it seemed as if a section of the Mountain Cyclops' habitat had been sliced out and deposited here.

One kilometer ahead of them was the Cyclops currently in labor.

A series of prompts emerged from the Nightmare Imprint: "You have utilized the summoning function of the Gold Branch Mission special item: Ukiyo-e." "The creature you have summoned is: Tier Eight Legendary Creature, Mountain Cyclops." "This creature is hostile, and due to its high tier, it will benefit from a favorable home-field advantage. However, no other entities will interfere with your actions." "Summoning cost: Fifty Merit Points and Two Hundred Thousand Universal Credits. Summon duration is six minutes. As the owner of the Ukiyo-e is an Imperial Colonel, an additional three-minute bonus is granted." "Please utilize your time wisely."

As the messages concluded, Fang Senyan and the others found themselves standing once more on the Mushroom Rock Plain, returned to familiar ground. Fang Senyan felt a surge of emotion; on this plain, he had faced death and fought desperately, racking his brain not only against the impossibly harsh environment and ferocious giant beasts but also against his own disparate companions! This was arguably the most arduous campaign he had ever endured.

Knowing they only had nine minutes remaining, San Zai immediately sprang into action. He procured a living animal resembling a roe deer from somewhere and, holding it aloft and struggling, walked toward the Cyclops.

Fang Senyan frowned. "Shouldn't I accompany you? If you go alone, the moment that brute turns hostile, you’ll be instantly near death."

San Zai laughed confidently. "Trust me; your charisma would only be counterproductive here. You’d only anger her further."

They watched San Zai’s slight frame move slowly forward. Only then did Fang Senyan realize San Zai was barely fifteen or sixteen, still a youth, preparing to face such a peril!

His heart clenched. He wanted to call San Zai back, but the sheer confidence in San Zai’s smile held him in check. Fang Senyan’s expression shifted several times before he finally sighed, knowing that if he interfered now, San Zai’s confidence would shatter, effectively ruining him.

At that moment, Zi walked to his side. Seemingly understanding Fang Senyan’s distress, she took his hand and whispered comfortingly, "San Zai is a Chosen One, favored by the system. Although he appears young, he has been profoundly influenced by you and is certainly not one to speak without conviction. If he says he’s confident, you should relax."

Fang Senyan let out a soft sigh but held firmly onto Zi’s hand. Zi’s face flushed crimson, deeply embarrassed, and she stomped hard on the top of Fang Senyan’s foot. Fang Senyan pretended not to feel it; he certainly wasn't going to relinquish any advantage he could claim.

San Zai walked very slowly, stopping frequently along the way. Towards the end, he deliberately hunched his body, bending over as he moved forward—an utterly strange sight. Old Charlie quietly commented to Fang Senyan, "That manner of walking is standard protocol for Mountain Cyclops entering each other's territory. By stooping, one inhibits the ability to mobilize the earthen Edict. The object he carries signifies a toll—for a Mountain Cyclops, the only concept of wealth is edibility—based on Mr. San Zai's actions, he clearly thought this sequence through carefully beforehand."

Despite being in extreme distress and pain, the Mountain Cyclops noticed San Zai slowly approaching. Her vigilance immediately activated her Edict; her right hand clenched, and a massive piece of rock rapidly solidified.

But San Zai stopped precisely at that moment, emitting a series of guttural, low sounds while continually raising the pitiable roe deer in his hand. Fang Senyan gasped in surprise. "In such a short time, San Zai learned the Mountain Cyclops language?"

Following San Zai’s words and gestures, the Cyclops hesitated, then slowly deactivated her Edict; the terrifyingly lethal stone reverted to mere earth.

This small figure before her posed no threat, radiating an aura of calm and peace. Furthermore, the language and posture San Zai employed stirred an inexplicable sense of kinship within the Cyclops. Since biology tends to render emotions more fragile under the torment of pain, San Zai successfully closed the distance.

San Zai then advanced slowly, but still maintaining a careful distance, wary not to provoke the beast tormented by suffering. Using the Cyclops language he had memorized beforehand, he pointed to himself and introduced, "I have received the favor of the Earth Spirit; the soul of a Cyclops also resides within me. Though I have lost the power to command the earth, I can connect and communicate with my kin through the mind."

After delivering this statement, San Zai allowed the Cyclops time to process his words, then began utilizing his mental communication ability: "How is your child doing now?"

Through the mental link, San Zai's voice abruptly resonated inside the great Cyclops’s mind! The beast widened its already spherical eyes in astonishment. After a moment of intense tension, stones instantly materialized again within its massive, three-fingered palm. However, after scrutinizing San Zai with confusion a few times, it reluctantly suppressed the urge to throw them, gently setting the forming rock back onto the ground.